The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-11-16
THE COAST Of AFRICA.
QUEER SIGHTS WITNESSED AT
CAPE TOWN AND ITS VICINITY.
Racing Ostriches-A Polyglot Par
liament-A Noble and Greasy
Native King

Iiament-A Noble and Greasy
Native King.
We were treated to an exhibition
which was novelty worth travelling
miles to see-an ostrich tace-wtites d
correspondent of the Philadelphia Press,
in description Of queer scenes on the
coast of Africa: Two little carts, the
frames of which were made of bamboo
and the wheels similar to those of a We
locipede, weighing, all the gear included,
thirty-seven pounds. were brought forth,
and four large ostriches trained to the
business and harnessed abreast, were at
tached to each one. The race-course
was fat piece of country about four
and half miles in length; the distance
to be travelled was four miles straight
away and return.
Two of the smallest specimens of
African humanity ever seen, less than
four feet in height and weighing about
seventy-two pounds a piece, Boschjes-
men, pure and simple, were selected as
charioteers, and all was ready. | had
been provided with magnificent six
teen-l ands high English hunter, having
record placing him among the very best
saddle horses of Cape Town, aud was
quarter way toward the turn of the
course, pushing my fresh steed to do his
best, when the feathered bipeds started,
and before reached the turn the ostrich
chariots had passed me going and re-
turning like flash of lightning. l did
see them, and yet so quickly did they
vanish into distance that pen picture
valuable for its accuracy can not be
gwen. The time taken at the starting
point by several of the spectators was,
for the four miles and return, nearly
nineteen minutes; not very fast for
ostriches, so they said, but too rapid for
English hunters l know.
The following day we visited the
Houses of Parliament and listened to a
very hot debate on an Ito Cape
Town interesting subject -" scab in
sheep" 1t was the most peculiar de-
batting society ever heard. An English
speaking member would air his oratory
for few minutes, then another member
would instantly rise to his feet and move
the atmosphere by tremendous effort in
the Dutch language. A solid chunk of
English wisdom would be attacked by
shafts of fiery polyglot Boer language,
and as one of the House assured me but
few of the members could understand
both English and Dutch, three only
speaking the two languages, how the
members came to an intelligent under
standing of the subject discussed in this
manner is a problem hard to solve.
Il
In triumph, as it were, they conducted
us to the largest hut in the village, the
residence of a stalwart native, whose de.
pertinent and mien the absence of ap
parel did not prevent designating as the
ruling power. He bore himself as king
and failed to show by any outward dem
onstration that our visit was any thing
out of the common. His residence was
hut, circular in form, about thirty feet
in diameter, made of clay to about ninC
feet from the ground, then tapering tC
the centre, covered with long grass and
supported by pole over twenty feet higl
placed in the middle of the hut, which
was bare of furniture except few buf
falo robes. The surrounding homes
were of smaller Dimensions, but all made
after the same style of architecture anC
of similar material. To make a favora
able impression upon his august person
age new brass button that happened il
one of our pockets was presented anC
the stern expression of his countenanct
changed as if by magic, smile illumin
ated his physiognemy and he chattered
in his gibberish like monkey
rejoicing over the possession o
an apple, But his hilarity was short
lived. One of the American visitors wa
by science blessed with portable uppe
teeth, and with the laudable intention o
providing the crowd with something t
talk about after we had lett their hos
pitable village, brought his hand care
lessly to his mouth, threw the teeth int
his open palm, and the hut was vacated
by the native throng, Chief included, il
the twinkling of an eye. 1t took con
and his tribe ventured again in our pres
ence. Apparently they stood in reveren
tial awe of the gentleman with the NOV
able worries, and every time afterwar'
when the crowd was too familiar til
tooth act was played with dispensing
effect.
Perceiving a splendid bullock tetherc
close by, motions were made to conve
our wish to purchase and the total il
norance of the population in re-ard t
civilization was demonstrated by the fac
that the owner selected two silver Eng
lish half crowns in payment in preference
to a 50 gold piece, the former bcin
twenty per cent. of the latter
Firearms were great novelty to thos
people, and when we presented tn
Chief with a revolver and cartridges
partial payment for assistance in proyiC
ing the vessel with fresh water, his haI
piness was too deep for utterance, lik
that of boy with his first pair of boot
Notwithstanding the absence of IN
kind of weapon, the tribe must be teri
BILE in warfare, as the bony parts of the
spears are embedded for several days
the trunk of tree, looking somethin
like the ash, the sap Of which impregnat,
the bone, and the slightest scratch {
wound with a spear so pointed produc,
death in few minutes. Doubling ii
KroOman's power of understanding II
native explanation, we tried the eXper
ment upon an ugly mongrel cur, an
doggie established the truth of aboN